It took three long seasons, but finally, someone landed the top prize on “Deal or No Deal.” Just a few days ago a 27-year-old pregnant stay-at-home mom became the popular game show’s first-ever million-dollar winner.
Jessica Robinson, from Sandee, Utah picked the lucky briefcase on Monday’s show and made herself a millionaire. Two things struck me when I saw her follow up interview: A.) The reason she chose the briefcase she did and B.) The reason she tried out for the show.
Let’s look at A. first:
According to Robinson, she had a winning strategy from the start. The enthusiastic wife and mom, who’s expecting a boy at the end of the month says she knew she was going to pick briefcase number four because “there’s soon going to be four people in our family so it just made sense.” (This shoots down rumors that she chose the number four because she was one of the first contestants on the series’ fourth season.) Robinson was so sure that the million-dollar prize was in briefcase No. 4 that she even turned down the banker’s final offer of $561,000. (By the way, according to producers, 15 contestants in the show’s history have chosen million-dollar cases, only to change their minds as the game went on.) The bubbly blonde went in with a plan and didn’t deviate from it for a moment. You have to admire her for that.
On to B: The reason she auditioned to be a contestant.
After winning her grand prize Robinson told reporters that more than anything the million dollars lessens the guilt she feels for being a stay-at-home mom.
“I’m a stay-at-home mom and I know I contribute to my family, but there are times I feel I don’t contribute because I’m not getting a paycheck, and at the end of the day, I’m the spender,” Robinson said. “This will take the burden off [of my husband] being the breadwinner and taking care of us.”
I’m not going to get into the antiquated debate centering on the worth of stay-at-home moms, though I will add that when salary.com came up with its latest estimated fair wage for the typical stay-at-home mom with two children, the total was $134,121 based on a 100-hour work week.
After taxes Robinson will see a little more than half of her million dollar winnings. Still, she says the money will bring her “peace of mind” and “make me feel less guilty” for taking care of her toddler at home while being the life center for her unborn son.
Hmmm… let’s see… Robinson feels “guilty” for not allowing strangers at a daycare facility raise her child so she can work outside her home and generate a paycheck that covers little more than the monthly childcare bill.
Robinson says she plans to use her winnings to buy a new home for her family. In addition, she’ll “buy toys for my kids from toy stores instead of garage sales” and help her husband start his own business. And once the money is spent she can go back to feeling guilty again.
What do you make of Robinson’s “guilt”?
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